Wrapper forming means for wrapping machines



July 14, 1964 D. R. BARKMAN WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 II 4? ---WE8 SUPPILY ROLL \CODEI? surrsk -ELEcm/c EYE WEAPPER CUTOFF 1:

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WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 'r Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Q g; p W9 2. 5A EAMAN 2% 1 3 BY at 7&a/Z

ATTORNEYJ July 14, 1964 D. R. BARKMAN WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR pm; 2. mexmmv ATTORNEY 5 D. R. BARKMAN 3,140,631 WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 July 14, 1964 Original Filed Aug. 29,1958

INVENTOR PA V/D 4 BAR/(MAN VBY 71nd ATTORNEYS y 1964 D. R. BARKMAN WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR p? W0 2 BAEKMAN BY a %w&

ATTORNEY5 July 14, .1964 D. R. BARKMAN 3,140,631

WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 192 luv/o e. JA M BY i w ATTORNEYS July 14, 1964 D. R. BARKMAN 3,140,631

WRAPPER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MACHINES Original Filed Aug. 29, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENTOR DA WD E. BAR/(MA N BY 27? 76M! ATTORNEY 5 United States Patent F 3,140,631 WRAPEER FORMING MEANS FOR WRAPPING MAQHINES David R. Barkman, Longmeadow, Mass., assignor to Package Niachinery (Zornpany, East Longmeadow, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application Aug. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 758,030, now Patent No. 3,008,280, dated Nov. 14, 1961. Divided and this application Aug. 22, 1960, Se No. 51,133 6 (Ilaims. (Q1. 83302) The present invention relates to improvements in forming the end seal in a wrapping operation, and more particularly to improved web slitting mechanism used in providing wrappers therefor.

The object of the invention is to provide simplified slitting means for forming a wrapper having an end flap which will cover and seal the end of a wrapped article and at the same time minimize the problems of registering printed matter on the end seal of the wrapper relative to the article.

While the present invention has broad utility in wrapping many diverse articles reference will be made, for illustrative purposes, to the advantages which are to be had in the wrapping of cigarette cartons in accordance with the present teachings. Generally speaking, cigarette cartons in our domestic market do not require any protective wrapping. However, when shipped overseas and particularly to tropical climates, it is necessary to protect the cigarettes from humid conditions to a greater extent than is provided by the wrappings around each individual package. At one time this was accomplished by a heavily waxed paper wrapper which was far from being attractive. Today, it has become the generally accepted practice to wrap cigarette cartons in paper backed metal foil which has printed thereon patterns of heat-sealable cement. These foil wrappers may be very attractively decorated and wrapped about the cigarette cartons on presently available wrapping machines.

The most common of these Wrapping machines and the ones capable of operating at sufficiently high rates of operation form the end seal by means of a so-called double point tuck. The double point tuck involves the overlapping of folded edges of the wrapper which makes it difficult to obtain an effective hermetic seal on the end of the carton. Further, the multitude of folds on the end of the carton make registration of printed matter difficult and limit the available area for printed matter.

Cigarette cartons wrapped according to the present invention are characterized by an end seal formed substantially entirely by a single flap of wrapper material folded against the end of the carton from one of the transverse panels thereof. Such an end seal is not, per se, new but the invention contemplates forming such wrappers at a high speed of operation and with a minimum modification of existing wrapping instrumentalities. More particularly, in accordance with the present invention, the web of wrapping material is continuously fed to the wrapping machine, as before but with the provision of intermittently operating slitters which precut from the wrapper that portion which is later to provide the flap for sealing the end of the carton. Thereafter, the wrapper is encircled about the carton with portions thereof projecting from all four sides of the carton beyond each of its ends. The portions extending beyond three sides of the carton are folded against each end face of the carton by conventional means. The portion extending beyond one side, preferably the top of the carton, lies in a horizontal plane and is of a width approximating that of the end face, having been formed by the mentioned slitters. The carton is then advanced to a tipping mechanism which rotates the carton 90 bringing the projecting flap portion into a ver- 3,140,631 Patented July 14., 1964 ice j tical plane. The carton is then advanced through a pair of gates which wipe the projecting fiap against the end of the carton, thereafter this flap is heat sealed to complete the wrapping of the carton. The carton tipping means is separately claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. 758,030, filed August 29, 1958, now Patent No. 3,008,280, issued November 14, 1961, of which the present application is a division.

The above and other related objects and features of the invention including the advantages thereof will be more fully apparent from a reading of the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the particular novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the relative relation of the various components of a wrapping machine in which the present invention is incorporated;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatical showing of components on line IIH in PEG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical showing of components on line III-IH in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 49 show in progressive fashion the manner in which articles are wrapped in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of FIG. 2 illustrating certain constructional features of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of the wrapper web after it has passed beyond the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a section taken substantially on line XII-XII in FIG. 10 with certain component parts rotated to a different relative position;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged elevation of mechanism indicated in FIG. 3 with portions of the near side frames of the machine broken away;

FIG. 14 is a section taken substantially on line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13; and

FIG. 15 is a view taken substantially on line XVXV in FIG. 14.

The overall operation of the wrapping machine incorporating the present invention may best be appreciated from the block diagram of FIG. 1. While the invention is not necessarily limited to wrapping machines of this type, certain features thereof are particularly suited to this pre-existing organization of machine elements for feeding a web of sheet material, cutting individual wrappers therefrom and coordinating the feed of articles with the feed of wrappers to introduce the articles and wrappers into a folding channel as will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

More particularly, FIG. 1 indicates the wrapper web is fed from a supply roll, past a coder, then past a slitter to a wrapper cutoff device which is registered with printed panels on the web by an electric eye. Individual wrappers are fed from the cutoff device to an elevator well where they are positioned above articles or cartons advanced thereto by an infeed conveyor and positioned on an elevator. The elevator is raised and the wrapper draped about the article and then the article and wrapper are introduced into the folding channel through which the article is advanced and the wrapping operation partially completed. When partially completed, and as later developed in detail, end flap extensions project laterally from the upper Wall or face of the article. Next, the article is rotated by an article turning device to dispose the end flaps vertically so that they may be wiped against the ends of the articles as they are advanced through end flap gates prior to being carried from the machine by an outfeed conveyor.

The wrapper feed system may be further understood from the diagrammatical showing of FIG. 2 wherein it will be seen that the web w is drawn from the web supply roll (10) upwardly to a slackener or tightener roll 12 downwardly and around reversing rolls 14, 16 and then past the coder (18). The web next passes by the slitter (20) which comprises a pair of transversely spaced rotary knives 22 and rotary depressor members 24 spaced thereabove to intermittently depress the web into engagement with the knives 22 to slit the web along lines spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the end face of the articles to be wrapped.

A pair of feed rollers 26 draws the web w from the supply roll 10 and feeds it to the cut off device (28) where a rotary knife 29 severs the web w into individual wrappers w along a transverse line intermediate the lengths of the slits, see FIG. 11, formed by the slitter 20. The individual wrappers w are advanced by feed belts 30 to the elevator well where they are positioned above cartons on an elevator 34.

The line of carton advance may best be appreciated from FIG. 3 wherein it will be seen that cartons are fed by the infeed conveyor (32) on to the elevator 34 at the lower end of the elevator well, with the wrapper w positioned thereabove. The elevator 34 is next raised between a spring plate 36 and flapper housing 38 to an upper position limited by a guide rail 40. As this is done the wrapper w is draped about the carton c in the fashion shown in FIG. 4. Next the elevator 34- is lowered and the package held in alignment with the entrance of the folding channel by spring loaded catches or fiappers (not shown). Next, a bottom plate 42 is advanced to lay the trailing end a of the wrapper w against the lower face of the carton c as indicated in FIG. 5. Thereafter, rear tuckers 44 are advanced to lay the trailing wrapper extension b against the end faces of the article as indicated in FIG. 6. After the rear end tucks are thus formed, a cross bar 46, advancing with the tuckers 42, engages the rear face of the carton and introduces the carton into the folding channel, as this occurs the leading end of the wrapper is laid against the bottom face of the carton as it is wiped over the flapper housing 38 and onto the bottom plate 47 of the folding channel. Shortly after being introduced into the folding channel, the leading end flap extension e is wiped against the end faces of the carton by front tuckers 48 so that the wrapper w is folded in the fashion indicated in FIG. 7. Thereafter the carton is advanced by an overhead conveyor, comprising paddles 50, through the folding channel to a plow 52 which lays the bottom flap extensions of the wrapper against the end face of the carton as is indicated in FIG. 8.

It will be seen that the above-described instrumentalities employing known wrapping techniques, fold the wrapper w about the carton c with the end extensions from three sides folded in superposed relation against the end face of the article and with the end extension from the top face of the carton being defined by the slits previously formed by the slitting mechanism referred to above. This top extension provides an end flap f projecting in a horizontal plane and having an outline approximately matching that of the end face of the carton. The superposed portions of the wrapper carry printed patterns of heatsealable cement which are activated by heating the bottom plate 47 and by providing heated side walls 54 along the folding channel.

The carton is next advanced to the turning device (56) which is oscillated to rotate the carton 90 within the folding channel and thereby dispose the end flaps on the leading side of the carton is a vertical plane. Thereafter the carton is advanced between the end flap gates (58) which lay the end flaps against the end faces of the cartons. The end flaps also have heat sealable cement on their inner faces and the sealing of the end flaps is accomplished by advancing the carton between heated plates 60 on either side of the folding channel. Finally the wrapped carton is discharged by the outfeed conveyor (62) which comprises a pair of belts trained about vertically disposed rolls and respectively bearing against the end faces of the carton to hold the end flaps in place as the cement hardens. As the carton is advanced by the outfeed conveyor, its upper leading edge is engaged by an angled rail 64 which causes the carton to rotate in reverse direction so that it is again oriented in the same fashion as when it originally entered the folding channel. In this manner it is possible to obtain the desired end flap sealing of the cartons and at the same time discharge them from the wrapping machine, for further handling, in the same plane and with the same relative orientation as was to be had from conventional wrapping machines forming a double point end tuck.

Reference is next made to FIGS. 10 and 12 for a more detailed description of the constructional features of the present invention found in the wrapper feed mechanism. Equivalent components are, in many instances, found on each side of the machine and reference will be made to such fact in the following description. though the drawings illustrate only one side or half of the machine in most all of the figures.

It will be seen (FIG. 10) that the web w extends upwardly from the supply roll 10 and around a roll 66 which is rotatably mounted on plates 68 secured to longitudinal side frame members 70. From the roll 66 the web w continues upwardly and around the slackener roll 12 (FIG. 2) and downwardly to the reversing rolls 14 and 16. The web w then extends from the roll 16 in a horizontal plane towards the coder 18 and slitter 20.

The slackener roll 12 is mounted on the upper ends of posts 72 projecting upwardly from each side frame 70. The roll 14 is rotatably mounted on bars 74 secured to each side frame 70 and the roll 16 is rotatably mounted on the plates 68. It will be noted that the disposition of the rolls 14 and 16 is such that the direction of web feed is reversed about an angle of wrap around the roll 16 of This arrangement has the specific purpose, for reasons which later appear, of substantially eliminating any tendency of the web to curl when it is not under tension. The tendency to curl of course arises from the fact that the wrapper material is supplied from a roll and usually has been in roll form for a period sufiicient to impart what might be termed a permanent set which is reflected in the tendency of the wrapper material to curl when removed from the supply roll 10. By training the moving web w around the reversing rolls 28 and 30 the web is bent about a reverse radius and will then tend to be flat when untensioned.

After passing by the coding device 18 the continuously moving web w is advanced over a supporting plate 76 which is secured to each side frame 70 as by screws 78. A second plate 80 is longitudinally spaced from the plate '76 and secured to the side frames 70 by screws 82. The slitting knives 22 are secured in spaced relation on a transverse shaft 84 disposed intermediate and beneath the spaced plates 76 and 80. The knives 22 have integral hubs 86 which are threaded into set screws 88 to secure the knives on shaft 34 in desired transverse relation to the web w (see also FIG. 12). The shaft 84 is journaled at each end in bearings 0 which are adjustably secured to the side frames 70 by screws 92. The shaft 84 is continuously rotated by a motor m (FIG. 2) which is drivingly connected to a pulley 94 by a belt 96, the pulley 94 being secured to shaft 84.

It will be noted that the upper edges of the knives 42 are disposed slightly beneath the upper surfaces of plates 76 and 80 so that the normal plane of travel of web w lies above knives 22. Slitting of the web w is herein accomplished by depressing the continuously moving web w out of this normal plane of travel and into contact with the knives 42.

This end is accomplished by the depressors 24 having web-engaging surfaces 98 preferablyforrned radially of a shaft 100 which rotates the depressors 24 in timed relation to movement of the web w. The depressors, conveniently are each formed integrally with an arm 102 extending from a split hub 106 which is angularly positioned relative to the shaft 100 by a longitudinal key 108. Also formed integrally with the hubs 106 are counterweights 110 which balance the weight of depressors 24 as they rotate. The depressors 24 are axially positioned on shaft 100 so that peripheral grooves 112, in the webengaging surfaces 98, are respectively in matching relation with the rotary knives 22. The depressors 24 are held fast in this relation by screws 114 which clamp the split hubs 106 against the shaft 100.

The shaft 100 is rotatably received at each end by bearing blocks 116 which are adjustably secured to bracket plates 118 by screws 121) passing through the illustrated slots therein. The bracket plates 118 are in turn secured to the side frames 70 by screws 122 with their upper ends being held rigid by a tie rod 124. The plates 118 are also slotted to permit passage of the ends of the shaft 62 therethrough and facilitate adjustment of the depressors 24. One end of the shaft 100 has a double sprocket 126 secured thereto which is driven by a chain 128 extending from the web feed and the cut off mechanism 28 (FIG. 2).

The drives for the various elements along the web feed system are interconnected so that the slitter 20 operates in predetermined timed relation with the feed rolls 26 and cut off device 28. This end is achieved by the roller chain and sprocket drive system, including chain 128, diagrammatically indicated in FIG. 2. Further, in accordance with known techniques, the cut off device is registered with printed panels on the web w as indicated in the description of FIG. 1.

Thus as the web w moves past the slitter 2f), the depressors 24- are preferably rotating so that the peripheral speed of the web-engaging surfaces 98 is the same as that of the web. Also, it is preferable that the combined width of the two surfaces 96 be at least as great as the width of the web w so that no creases are formed in the web as it is slit. The depressors 24 deflect the traveling web into engagement with the rotating knives 22 and form a pair of slits (FIG. 11) which are spaced apart a distance approximating the width of the end faces of the cartons and which have a length approximating twice the height of the end faces of the cartons. As soon as the depressors 24- rotate out of engagement with the web w, it will spring back to a position out of engagement with the knives 22 since the web w is maintained under tension by the tightener roll 12 (FIG. 2). Further, the slits are intermediate the printed panels which are later to be positioned on the top faces of the cartons. Thereafter, as the web is advanced to the cut off 28, it is severed into individual wrappers along a line bisecting the slits. Thus each individual wrapper has a pair of slits at each end which will later form end flaps as described heretobefore.

As has been noted, the knives 22 and depressors 24 may be axially shifted on the shafts 84 and 1110 respectively thus enabling the proper spacing between slits for a given carton. Also the depressors may be longitudinally adjusted relative to plates 118 in order to get a fine adjustment of the longitudinal relation of the slots relative to the web. Further, means are provided for adjusting the length of the slit and preferably take the form of extension bars 1% (FIGS. and 12) secured to the trailing ends of deflectors 24 by screws 132. The bars 1.39 increase the effective peripheral length of the sur-' faces 98 and may be adjustably set for the desired length of slit by the use of spacers 134 of the proper thickness.

In passing it will be noted that a protective sheet metal guard 136 is secured to the brackets 118 and overlies the rotating depressors 24. Also a sheet metal guard 138 encloses the knives 22 (FlG. 12 only) so that they can- 6. not be accidentally contacted. Each wrapper after hav ing been formed with slitted end flaps as above-described is wrapped about a carton in the manner above-described to obtain the condition illustrated in FIG. 8.

It is in this condition that partially wrapped cartons are advanced by the conveyor paddles 50 to the carton turning device 56 illustrated in detail in FIGS. 13-15. The end flaps from the tops of the cartons are disposed in a horizontal plane extending above the heated side plates 54. At this point note will be taken that these end flaps are substantially flat and for that reason remained clear of the above-described instrumentalities which folded the wrapper extensions in superposed rela tion on the end faces of the carton. The flat condition of the end flaps is the result of the web w having been passed around the reversing rolls 14 and 16 as previously described.

Each carton is advanced from the heated platform bottom 47 which seals the bottom seam of the wrapper and then onto a cooling platform formed by a plate 149. The plate 140 is appropriately recessed at each side (FIG. 15) to provide clearance for tippers, each comprising (FIGS. 13 and 15) a side plate 142 secured by screws 144 to an arm 146 having a split hub 148 which is clamped to a cross shaft 151 by a screw 152. A carton engaging member or striker 154 is longitudinally grooved to receive the arm 146 and is secured to the upper surface thereof by screws 156. The ends of shaft are journaled on brackets 158 secured to frame members 16% by screws 162 with a tie rod 164 spacing the brackets 158 apart and lending rigidity thereto.

Oscillatory tipping movement is imparted to the shaft 156 by a cam and linkage arrangement (FIGS. 13 and 14) which comprises an arm 166 clamped on shaft 118 by a screw 168 intermediate the described tippers. A link 170 is pivotally connected to its upper end to the outer end of arm 166 and is threaded at its lower end into a yoke 172. The yoke 172 includes an end cap 174 and is disposed between a pair of conjugate cams 176- 178, followers 180-182 carried thereby respectively engage said cams. Cam 178 has a circular hub 183 which spaces the earn 176 therefrom and which is engaged by parallel bearing surfaces 134 formed on the yoke 172 to assure that the followers 186-182 will bear against their respective cams. The cam 176 (FIG. 14) is seecured by screws as at 186 to the hub 183 of cam 178 which in turn is secured by a set screw 18% to a cross shaft 199. The shaft 190 is appropriately journaled at each end by frame brackets as the illustrated bracket 192 and is rotated in timed relation to movement of cartons along the folding channel as by a chain and sprocket drive (not shown) from the drive for the overhead conveyor.

The brackets 153 support the plate 141? and the end flap gates in a manner which will now be described in detail. The brackets 158 have arms 144 (FIG. 13) which are longitudinally slotted to receive screws 196 (FIGS. 14 and 15) threaded into the under side of the plate 146. This arrangement permits the plate 1% and all parts mounted thereon to be longitudinally adjusted relative to the folding channel. A pair of stub plates 198 are secured in side by side relation on the plate 168 by screws 260 which pass through enlarged holes in the plate 140 and are threaded into the stub plates 1%. This arrangement is for convenience in adjusting the stub plates 1% relative to each other and relative to the plate 141 A fold retainer 2112 is mounted by screws 264 at the forward end of each stub plate 1% in the manner illustrated in FIG. 14. The end flap gates 53 are disposed rearwardly of the fold retainers 202 and each comprises an inwardly directed plate 266 extending from a hub 208. A vertically disposed pivot pin 216 is received by the hub 2118 and held fast therein by a set screw 212. The pivot pin 210 is journaled at each end in an angularly disposed bracket 214 secured to the stub plates 198 by screws 216 passing through a bracket flange 213 and threaded into the stub plate. As can best be seen from FIG. 13, the hub 208 is provided with a tail 220 which is held against a recessed portion of the bracket 214 by a tension spring 220 connected at its other end to a spring pin 222 projecting from the bracket 214. In this fashion the gate plate 2% is yieldingly maintained in a position normal to the path of advance of the cartons (FIG. 15

It will also be seen that the overhead conveyor comprises a pair of vertically spaced bars 224 on either side of the folding channel to guide the paddles 5t). Brackets 226 (only one is shown) are secured to the bars 224 (FIGS. 13 and 14) to yieldingly support guide rails 228. More particularly, a pin 23th extending from rail 228 is slidably mounted in each bracket 226 and a compression spring 232 urges the rail 228 downwardly to a position limited by a cross pin 234 in the pin 232.

The action of the carton turning device 56 and end flap gates 53 in sealing off the end of the carton in the fashion indicated in FIG. 9 may best be summarized as follows. A carton is advanced to the turning device 56 by one of the conveyor paddles 5G with the wrapper w disposed in the fashion indicated in FIG. 8, i.e. the top wrapper extension or end flap is disposed in a horizontal plane. The carton is advanced until the leading edge thereof is closely adjacent the forward edges of the stub plates 198. At this time, the timed relationship for the drive of cam shaft 199 is such that the described cam and linkage arrangement will cause the shaft 158 to be rotated in a clockwise direction and in so doing the upper edge of the striker 154 carried by arm 146 will engage the lower face of the carton. Continued rotative movement of the carton will result in the leading lower end of the carton engaging the stub plates 198 and cause the carton to be rotated 90 within the folding channel as indicated by the phantom showings in FIG. 13. It will be noted that the upper guide rails 228 are curved to approximate the path of movement of the upper trailing edge of the carton so that the lower leading edge of the carton will be forced into engagement with the stub plates 198 thereby assuring the described turning movement of the carton. It will also be noted that the rate of movement of the turning device in effecting the described rotation of the carton is sufiiciently rapid to carry the carton ahead of the continuously moving paddle 50 so that the carton is disposed With the end flap in a vertical plane and extending from the leading face of the carton prior to the carton being again advanced by the paddle 50.

It will be noted that the Wrapper extensions superposed against the end face of the article (FIG. 8) are at all times confined during this rotative movement of the carton to provide sufficient time for the heat sealable cement (activated by heated plates 54) to set without the danger of the Wrapper extensions breaking free. More particularly, this can be noted from the arrangement (FIG. 13) of the fold retainers 202 and the tipper side plates 142 (carried by arms 146). The superposed wrapper extensions on the leading end of the carton are confined by the fold retainers 202 while the side plates 142 retain the superposed wrapper extensions on the trailing end of the carton. The fold retainers 2G2 are roughly semi-circular in cross section to accommodate swinging movement of the side plates 42 as the carton is rotated in the manner just described.

Once the end flaps are vertically disposed or substantially so, the tippers are returned to the position illustrated in FIG. 13, by the described conjugate cam arrangement preparatory to receiving the next succeeding carton by oscillatory movement imparted to the shaft 150.

Thereafter the rotated carton is advanced through the end flap gates 58. It will be noted that preferably the gate plates 206 extend into obstructive relation with the carton itself so that as the carton is advanced into engagement with the gate plates 2% they Will yieldingly swing outwardly of the folding channel against the action of spring 220 and in so doing will firmly lay the end flaps against the superposed wrapper extensions covering over the end face of the carton and upon continued advance of the carton this end face will be wiped between surfaces 236 on the brackets 214 which are spaced apart a distance approximating the Width of the cartons. Thereafter, the carton will be advanced to the heat sealing element 60 (FIGS. 15 and 3) to activate heat sealable cement which is printed on the inner face of the end flaps thereby securely sealing the ends of the cartons in the fashion indicated in FIG. 9. Thereafter, the cartons are carried to the outfeed conveyor 62 (FIG. 3) where the angled bar 64 reorients the carton to its original relative position so that it may be fed from the wrapping machine in at least substantially the same plane and condition as was found in prior machines.

It will be noted that the present end fiap seal provides a greater area free of folds for bearing printed matter and further because of the freedom of folds on the end faces of the article the problem of registering printed matter is minimized or eliminated.

I claim:

1. In a wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system comprising means for continuously drawing a web of wrapper material having printed panels thereon from a supply roll, means for guiding said web along a horizontal run, a transverse shaft spaced beneath the horizontal run of said web, a pair of circular knives having equal cutting diameters secured to said shaft and axially spaced apart therealong a distance approximating the width of the end faces of articles to be wrapped, said knives being spaced slightly beneath said Web, means for continuously rotating said shaft, a pair of plates longitudinally spaced on either side of said knives with their upper faces supporting the horizontal run of said web, a second transverse shaft spaced above said web and in general overlying relation with the first-mentioned transverse shaft, a pair of depressors extending radially from said transverse shaft, said depressors having web-engaging surfaces formed on a radius from said second shaft slightly greater than the distance to said web and having a limited arcuate length, the combined widths of said web-engaging surfaces at least approximating the width of said web, said surfaces being peripherally grooved to provide clearance for receiving said circular knives, means for rotating said second shaft so that said depressors will intermittently displace the web into engagement with said knives thereby longitudinally slitting said web along transversely spaced parallel lines which are coextensive in length, means for severing the web into individual wrappers along a transverse line bisecting the length of said slits to form individual wrappers having discrete flaps at each end thereof, means for registering said severing means with said printed panels and means interconnecting said second shaft rotating means with said severing means in such fashion that the depressors deflect the web into engagement with said knives intermediate the printed panels thereon.

2. In a wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system as in claim 1 wherein the second shaft is longitudinally adjustable to provide for accurate location of the slits relative to the printed panels.

3. In a wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system as in claim 1 wherein means are provided for varying the arcuate length of said web-engaging surfaces to control the length of the slits in the web.

4. In a Wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system as in claim 1 wherein the second shaft is rotated at a rate such that the web-engaging surface of the depressors approximate the rate of feed of the Web.

5. In a wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system comprising means for continuously drawing a web of wrapper material from a supply roll, means for guiding said Web along a horizontal run, a transverse shaft spaced beneath the horizontal run of said web, a pair of circular knives having equal cutting diameters secured to said shaft and axially spaced apart therealong, said knives being spaced slightly beneath said Web, means for continuously rotating said shaft, a second transverse shaft spaced above said web and in general overlying relation with the first mentioned transverse shaft, a pair of de pressors extending radially from said second transverse shaft, said depressors having web-engaging surfaces formed on a radius from said second shaft slightly greater than the distance to said web having a limited arcuate length, the combined widths of said web-engaging surfaces at least approximating the Width of said web, said surfaces being peripherally grooved to provide clearance for said circular knives, means for rotating said second shaft so that the depressors will intermittently displace the web into engagement with said knives thereby longitudinally slitting said web along transversely spaced parallel lines which are co-extensive in length and means 10 for severing the Web into individual wrappers along a transverse line bisecting the length of said slits to form individual wrappers having discrete flaps at each end thereof.

6. In a wrapping machine, a wrapper supply system as in claim 5 wherein a pair of reversing rolls are provided at the entrance to said horizontal run, said web being trained about said reversing rolls about a reverse radius as related to the radius about which the web is wrapped on said supply roll whereby any tendency of the web to curl will be substantially eliminated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,487,662 Langston Mar. 18, 1924 1,489,890 Langston Apr. 8, 1924 1,977,812 Swift Oct. 23, 1934 2,218,232 Ellis Oct. 15, 1940 2,598,820 Neese June 3, 1952 2,682,208 Monroe et a1. June 29, 1954 2,751,981 Hawkins June 26, 1956 2,850,091 Carter Sept. 2, 1958 

1. IN A WRAPPING MACHINE, A WRAPPER SUPPLY SYSTEM COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY DRAWING A WEB OF WRAPPER MATERIAL HAVING PRINTED PANELS THEREON FROM A SUPPLY ROLL, MEANS FOR GUIDING SAID WEB ALONG A HORIZONTAL RUN, A TRANSVERSE SHAFT SPACED BENEATH THE HORIZONTAL RUN OF SAID WEB, A PAIR OF CIRCULAR KNIVES HAVING EQUAL CUTTING DIAMETERS SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AND AXIALLY SPACED APART THEREALONG A DISTANCE APPROXIMATING THE WIDTH OF THE END FACES OF ARTICLES TO BE WRAPPED, SAID KNIVES BEING SPACED SLIGHTLY BENEATH SAID WEB, MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SAID SHAFT, A PAIR OF PLATES LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID KNIVES WITH THEIR UPPER FACES SUPPORTING THE HORIZONTAL RUN OF SAID WEB, A SECOND TRANSVERSE SHAFT SPACED ABOVE SAID WEB AND IN GENERAL OVERLYING RELATION WITH THE FIRST-MENTIONED TRANSVERSE SHAFT, A PAIR OF DEPRESSORS EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM SAID TRANSVERSE SHAFT, SAID DEPRESSORS HAVING WEB-ENGAGING SURFACES FORMED ON A RADIUS FROM SAID SECOND SHAFT SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE TO SAID WEB AND HAVING A LIMITED ARCUATE LENGTH, THE COMBINED WIDTHS OF SAID WEB-ENGAGING SURFACES AT LEAST APPROXIMATING THE WIDTH OF SAID WEB, SAID SURFACES BEING PERIPHERALLY GROOVED TO PROVIDE CLEARANCE FOR RECEIVING SAID CIRCULAR KNIVES, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SECOND SHAFT SO THAT SAID DEPRESSORS WILL INTERMITTENTLY DISPLACE THE WEB INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID KNIVES THEREBY LONGITUDINALLY SLITTING SAID WEB ALONG TRANSVERSELY SPACED PARALLEL LINES WHICH ARE COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH, MEANS FOR SEVERING THE WEB INTO INDIVIDUAL WRAPPERS ALONG A TRANSVERSE LINE BISECTING THE LENGTH OF SAID SLITS TO FORM INDIVIDUAL WRAPPERS HAVING DISCRETE FLAPS AT EACH END THEREOF, MEANS FOR REGISTERING SAID SEVERING MEANS WITH SAID PRINTED PANELS AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SECOND SHAFT ROTATING MEANS WITH SAID SEVERING MEANS IN SUCH FASHION THAT THE DEPRESSORS DEFLECT THE WEB INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID KNIVES INTERMEDIATE THE PRINTED PANELS THEREON. 